Seat mounting



2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1955 A. c. HovEN ET AL SEAT MOUNTING Filed Oct. 1 1955 l 13' .1.8 @in w l muwllnnm Alfred C.Hoer1`f M11-ev E. Nordmarli Oct. 4, 1955 A. C. HOVEN ET AL SEAT MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct# 1, 1953 Fil-9.5

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l Fia-5 Z8 ATTORNEY United States Patent O SEAT MOUNTING Alfred C. Hoven and Walter E. Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New `lersey Application October 1, 1953, Serial No. 383,578

8 Claims. (Cl. 15S- 86) The present invention relates to seat mountings and more particularly to the connections between the seats of theater chairs or the like and the supporting standards therefor.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide improved connected seating for theaters, auditoriums and the like; to provide improved seat mountings whereby seats may be quickly and easily installed on pre-installed supporting standards therefor; to provide such seat mountings which are adaptable to either straight or curved rows of connected seating; to provide such seat mountings the main parts of which are fabricated from heavy-gauge sheet metal and which are thus simple but sturdy in construction; to provide such mountings whereby the seat is automatically raised to a non-use position when unoccupied thus to facilitate ingress to and egress from the rows of seating; to provide such mountings which are quiet in operation; and in general to provide such seat t mountings which are sturdy in construction, eflicient in operation and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of several seats in a curved row of connected theater seating, the supporting standards for the seats beingsho-wn in horizontal section, and the chair backs being omitted from the view since they form no part of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view of one of the chai-supporting standards and of the adjacent sides of adjacent seats supported thereby, and showing the new seat mountings whereby the seats are connected to the standard;

Figure 3 is an inside elevational view of the standard and the seat mountings shown at the left hand side of Figure 2, the attaching bolts between the seat and its mountings being shown in vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 isa horizontal sectional View of the same taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of certain parts thereof taken on lines 6-6 of Figures 4 and 5.

Referring now in detail to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, `the seats 10 shown in Figure 1 comprise conventional cushions mounted upon conventional metal bases or seat pans 11 having vertical side walls 12 which are connected by means of the new seat mountings to upright, cross-sectionally oval sheet metal supporting standards 13.

Seat mountings of the present type must perform a number of functions. First, they must provide a pivotal support for the seat whereby the seat may be raised to a non-use position or lowered to use position. Second, they must provide self-folding mechanism whereby the seat is automatically raised to non-use position when unoccupied. Third, they must provide a rm support for the seat when occupied, and a stop for the extreme raised "ice position of the seat. Fourth, they must provide for row curvature and for slight variations in the distances between supporting standards. Many prior seat mountings have performed these functions but most of them involved the use of complicated structures, and heavy and expensive parts.

The present seat mountings are relatively simple and the main parts thereof are fabricated from relatively lightweight and inexpensive sheet metal. Mounting brackets 14 are provided, each comprising a front arm 15, a rear arm 16 and a connecting web 17. The arms 15, 16 of each mounting bracket are provided with vertically spaced, horizontally elongated bolt-receiving openings 18 therethrough. The mounting brackets 14 for the adjacent sides of adjacent chairs in a row are secured to a common chair-supporting standard 13 by means of bolts 19 passing through aligned openings 18 and through the standard from front to rear, and provided with nuts 20 on their rearward ends. It will be seen that the arms 15, 16 of one mounting bracket overlie those of the other mounting bracket as best seen in Figure 5, and that the horizontal elongation of the bolt-openings 18 permits horizontal adjustment and angular adjustment of the brackets relative to the standard prior to tightening of the nuts 20.

Seat brackets 21 are provided, each comprising a crosssectionally inverted U-shaped member having spaced flanges 22, 23 connected at their upper edges by a bight 24. The flanges 22 are provided with bolt-receiving openings 25 for the reception of bolts 26 having nuts 27 by means of which the seat brackets 21 are secured to the side walls 12 of the seat pans. These seat brackets 21 straddle the webs 17 of the mounting brackets 14, and a pivot pin 28 extends through the flanges 22, 23 of each seat bracket and the adjacent mounting members web 17 therebetween. The seat is thus mounted on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between a lowered position of use indicated in full lines in Figure 3 and an extreme raised position of non-use indicated in broken lines in the same view. A coil contraction spring 29 having one end connected to the seat brackets ange 23 and the other end connected to the mounting brackets front arm 15 is provided at each side of the chair for normally urging the seat toward a raised position somewhat intermediate the seats eXtreme raised and lowered positions, so that when unoccupied the seats all assume the same angle to provide a neat, uniform appearance.

Each web 17 has an upwardly opening cavity 30 in its upper marginal edge. A resilient element here shown in the form of a rubber disc 31 is disposed in the cavity 30 and normally extends slightly above the webs upper edge when the seat is unoccupied, as shown in full lines in Figure 6. When the seat is lowered to its position for occupancy, the contact of the bights 24 with the upper edges of the webs 17 is cushioned and quieted by displacement of these rubber discs 31.

[t will be seen that when the seat is occupied it is supported forwardly of the pivot pin 28 by the bights 24 which come to rest on the upper edges of the webs 17. When the seat is moved to its extreme position, as when the occupant rises to permit others to pass in front of him and presses the seat rearwardly, such movement is stopped by contact of the bights 24 with shoulders 32 on the webs 17 as indicated by the broken line position of the seat bracket 21 shown in Figure 3.

The invention thus provides a simple, sturdy, eicient and quiet mechanism for mounting theater seats on supporting standards in either straight or curved rows of connected seating. While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention, as the same is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and provided with a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from its supporting standard; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and pivotally connected to the adjacent mounting bracket whereby the seat is mounted on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, each seat bracket comprising a cross-sectionally inverted U-shaped member having flanges disposed on opposite sides of the adjacent mounting brackets web and having a bight extending over said web, said bight resting on the upper edge of said web in the lowered use position of the chair seat for supporting the seat forwardly of the pivotal connections between the seat brackets and the mounting brackets.

2. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and provided with a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from its supporting standard and with an upwardly opening cavity in said webs upper marginal edge; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and pivotally connected to the adjacent mounting bracket whereby the seat is mounted on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, each seat bracket comprising a cross-sectionally inverted U-shaped member having flanges disposed on opposite sides of the adjacent mounting brackets web and having a bight extending over said web, said bight resting on the upper edge of said web in the lowered use position of the chair seat for supporting the seat forwardly of the pivotal connections between the seat brackets and the mounting brackets; and a resilient element disposed in the upwardly opening cavity of each web and extending above the web for cushioning the lowering movement of the seat brackets bights against the upper edges of said webs.

3. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and provided with a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from its supporting standard; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and pivotally connected to the adjacent mounting bracket whereby the seat is mounted on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, each seat bracket comprising a cross-sectionally inverted U-shaped member having anges disposed on opposite sides of the adjacent mounting brackets web and having a bight extending over said web, said bight resting on the upper edge of said web in the lowered use position of the chair seat for supporting the seat forwardly of the pivotal cont nections between the seat brackets and the mounting brackets; and a spring connected to a seat bracket and its adjacent mounting bracket for normally urging the seat to a raised non-use position.

4. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and comprising a metal plate bent to form a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from the standard and arms connected to the front and the rear surfaces of the standard; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of lthe chair seat and comprising a second metal plate bent to form vertical anges connected at their upper edges by a horizontal bight, one of said flanges being connected to the adjacent side of the chair seat and the seat bracket straddling the web of the adjacent mounting bracket; a pivot pin extending through the flanges of each seat bracket and through the adjacent mounting brackets web between said flanges thus mounting the seat on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, the bights of said seat brackets being adapted to rest on the webs of the mounting brackets forwardly of the pivot pins for supporting the seat in its lowered use position.

5. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and comprising a metal plate bent to form a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from the standard and arms connected to the front and the rear surfaces of the standard; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and comprising a second metal plate bent to form vertical flanges connected at their upper edges by a horizontal bight, one of said flanges being connected to the adjacent side of the chair seat and the seat bracket straddling the web of the adjacent mounting bracket; a pivot pin extending through the flanges of each seat bracket and through the adjacent mounting brackets web between said anges thus mounting the seat on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, the bights of said seat brackets being adapted to rest on the webs of the mounting brackets forwardly of the pivot pins for supporting the seat in its lowered use position, and said bights being adapted to contact said webs rearwardly of the pivot pins for stopping the seat in its extreme raised non-use position.

6. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and comprising a metal plate bent to form a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from the standard and arms connected to the front and the rear surfaces of the standard; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and comprising a second metal plate bent to form Vertical flanges connected at their upper edges by a horizontal bight, one of said flanges being connected to the adjacent side of the chair seat and the seat bracket straddling the web of the adjacent mounting bracket; a pivot pin extending through the flanges of each seat bracket and through the adjacent mounting brackets web between said anges thus mounting the seat on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, the bights of said seat brackets being adapted to rest on the webs of the mounting brackets forwardly of the pivot pins for supporting the seat in its lowered use position and said bights being adapted to contact said webs rearwardly of the pivot pins for stopping the seat in its extreme raised non-use position; and spring means normally urging the seat toward a raised non-use position.

7. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and comprising a metal plate bent to form a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from the standard and arms connected to the front and the rear surfaces of the standard said web having an upwardly opening cavity in its upper marginal edge; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and comprising a second metal plate bent to form spaced vertical flanges connected at their upper edges by a horizontal bight, one of said flanges being connected to the adjacent side of the chair seat and the seat bracket straddling the web of the adjacent mounting bracket; a pivot pin extending through the flanges of each seat bracket and through the adjacent mounting brackets web between said anges thus mounting the seat on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, the bights of said seat brackets being adapted to rest on the webs of the mounting brackets forwardly of the pivot pins for supporting the seat in its lowered use position; a resilient element disposed in the upwardly opening cavity of each web and extending above the web for cushioning the lowering movement of the seat brackets bights against the upper edges of said webs.

8. In a chair structure: a pair of standards; a mounting bracket secured to each standard and comprising a metal plate bent to form a vertically disposed web spaced inwardly from the standard and arms connected to the front and the rear surfaces of the standard said web having an upwardly opening cavity'in its upper marginal edge; a chair seat disposed between the standards; a seat bracket secured to each of the opposite sides of the chair seat and comprising a second metal plate bent to form spaced vertical flanges connected at their upper edges by a horizontal bight, one of said ilanges being connected to the adjacent side of the chair seat and the seat bracket straddling the web of the adjacent mounting bracket; a pivot pin extending through the flanges of each seat bracket and through the adjacent mounting brackets web between said anges thus mounting the seat on the standards for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, the bights of said seat brackets being adapted to rest on the Webs of the mounting brackets forwardly of the pivot pins for supporting the seat in its lowered use position; a resilient ele ment disposed in the upwardly opening cavity of each web and extending above the web for cushioning the lowering movement of the seat brackets bights against the upper edges of said webs; and spring means normally urging the seat toward a raised non-use position, and said bights being adapted to contact said webs rearwardly of the pivot pins for stopping the seat in its extreme raised non-use position.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,201,450 Nordmark May 21, 1940 2,215,127 Merrill Sept. 17, 1940 2,336,128 Ronk Dec. 7, 1943 2,652,881 Rowe Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,212 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1942 

